Preview: Ducks Visit Rival Kings for Final Game Before 4 Nations Face-Off Break

The Ducks will head into the 4 Nations Face-Off break with the return of the Freeway Face-Off, tonight visiting the rival Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena.

PUCK DROP: 7:30 P.M. | WATCH: | AUDIO: DUCKS STREAM | NHL GAMECENTER

Anaheim meets its archrival with wins in five of its last six games after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars at Honda Center while celebrating goaltender John Gibson's 500th career NHL appearance.

"I feel like we just tried to get this one for Gibby," said forward Trevor Zegras, who scored the game-winning goal. "He has been so good for us. This one meant a lot to him [with] his family being down on the glass during warmups too. So, I think we were playing for him tonight."

"I think there’s been a lot of confidence with the group," added head coach Greg Cronin. "I think it started back when we beat Winnipeg a month and a half ago at home (Dec. 18). We had that road trip where we got a little bit sloppy, but I think we got back on the rails pretty quickly. When you win, it builds belief into what you’re doing. When [Dallas] scored, our bench was really calm. It was the end of the power play and we could’ve gotten rattled but we stayed on it and then Zegras had a huge goal."

Gibson, who also earned his 202nd career NHL victory to move within four of J.S. Giguere's franchise record (206), stopped 26-of-27 shots in the latest stellar performance by Anaheim's top-ranked goaltending duo.

"In the first period [especially], he was terrific," Cronin said. "Gibby has played so much, he’s so calm. When you have a goalie that has that calmness, it kind of has a domino effect mentally. I think he’s having a great year. I’m really happy for him and happy for the team."

The win pushed Anaheim to 23-24-6 on the season, nine points back of a Western Conference Wild Card spot.

"I think we've demonstrated that we're capable of beating any team in the league," Cronin said. "[The players] are starting to see reults and believing in it. Belief is a huge part of anything you do in life. I think they believe in what they're doing.

With three days off between games, the Ducks have had an event week on and off the ice. The club hosted its 24th annual Dux in Tux Thursday night, raising funds for the Anaheim Ducks Foundation as players, coaches and broadcasters acted as "sous chefs" alongside a group of Southern California’s finest chefs & restaurants.

The following morning at Great Park Ice, just as practice was ending, Ducks players surprised Gibson with one final gift in honor of his milestone accomplishment, an off-road vehicle.

Anaheim now turns its attention to one final tough test before the week-long break, a Kings team currently holding down a one of three Pacific Division playoff berth and fresh off a win over Dallas themselves, 5-4 last night in a shootout.

"They're a really defensive minded team," Cronin said. "Their defensive stats are tops in the league. I think they do a really good job trying to smother scoring chances against, and they've got enough team speed across all four lines that they can get up into the counter attack. They're a really balanced team.

"The last time we played, I actually think we outshot them and thought we played really well. The one that sticks out for me with them is they get out of their zone so well. They do a really good job understanding when they have to use those small little passes and then use those stretch passes to exit...Like I said, they're very balanced and they play really well as a team. They don't give you a lot. They're going to make us earn every foot of ice, so it's going to be a battle."

A team already stocked with defenseman, currently carrying nine on the roster, LA welcomed back a franchise icon last week with veteran blueliner Drew Doughty returning from a broken left ankle suffered in the preseason. Doughty has now appeared in five games, leading the club in ice time in four of them.

“I think with the puck, for the most part, I feel good, but defensively I’ve got a lot of work to do,” Doughty told LA Kings Insider Zach Dooley after his first three outings of the season. “I’m still doing a decent job but not as good as I know I can do. Pretty good, I think, considering how long I missed, but I’m going to improve and get better.”

Los Angeles (29-17-6, 64 points) sits third in the Pacific Division, eight points back of first-place Edmonton.